The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-26
ABUSES BY MEAT SELLERS
More Revelations About the Foul Quail
ity of Animal Flesh Sold for Food.
Some Sickening Instances of Recent Occur
renee That Demonstrate the Urgent Need
for Better System of Inspection.

yesterday afternoon, was poor, and apparently
short in supply Not more than dozen of the
twerty-four retail butchers had any on hand
Some of the absent ones had, no doubt, sold out,
and as to the wholesale butchers stalls. not one
was occupied. The supply would not have fur
nished DAYS rations for regiment. AS for
quality. it showed that it came either from poor
ly fed, old or damaged stock Here and there
could be seen fair pieces, hut none that could be
termed irst-class.
The retail butchers get their meat from tho
Wholesale mon. who go to the stockyards for
their beeves, hogs and sheep. They do not
slaughter all of it at the abattor, but the larger
part he supply comes from that house Some
Of tbs .neat is dressed by country butchers, who
bring it into the market. az do those who get
their supply at the abattor, at 130 o'clock in the
morning. By4 o'clock it is all disposed of to
retailers, who have it ready for tho earlier pur-
chssers Az at the market 30 at the abattoir,
there is no means of preserving it A beef
killed and dressed il hung up without especial
care in the abattoir cellar until it Is car
ried to market There ia no ice or
refrigerator in which to keep it cool and sweet.
At the market it fares no better. and what the
purchaser secures is probably steak or roast
from a steer that only few hours before was in
the stockyards pen. Some of this meat is not
disposed of, and it is taken away to be placed on
sale again two days later, sold at the groceries
and in outside shops. If all the beef in the first
place frstclass. it would naturally become
affected in this way. unless it had the best Of
care in the boxes and refrgerators.
But aside from this the purchaser, when he
goes to shop, grocery or market is disturbed by
the thought that the meat may be that of Grip
pied or diseased steer, hog or sheep. A lady
who went to her butcher, the other day. took
tbs chance on boiling piece that appeared good. (
1t went into the pot, and, in time. came to tho
table. Immediately after that it was thrown
into the garbage barrel. Another pur
chaser selected roast. and after cooking
it proved 20 be tainted These
only chance incidents that are told in the num-
berless complaints that are being made about
the meat supply. Everybody mas something to
say concerning the difficulty in getting good
beef. while some of the butchers protest that
they never offered for sale better meat than now.
Many of the customers at the market yesterday
had their doubts about this for every piece that
appeared fair or wholesome was carefully in
spected.
The butchers claim that it is to their interest
to sell the best meat that can be had, because
they do not want to lose their custom. It would
be suicidal, they say. for them to do otherwise,
and that no bad meat is ever bought on the mar.
found a dressed hog. just killed. in the abattoir.
1t showed signs of having been dis
eased. Inquiry revealed the fact that Il
had been jammed up in transportation
which brought on cramps While it was thus
afflicted it killed. Thompson condemned
the meat and ordered it to be destroyed. A few
master Aldridee called his attention to . hog
that looked badly. butcher had it for sale.
Thompson recognized the meat rs that con.
demned by him at the abattoir. and he had
trouble with the butcher. who insisted on selling
it. The butcher became angry and threatened
to sue the city. but the NEST never got into the
hands of purchaser.
On another occasion, not long after this incl
dent about o'clock in the morning, lot Of
mutton was brought to the Wholesale side of the
market 1t poor and of light weight The
inspeetorwAs in another part of the building,
but some ono called his attention to the lot just
in time. In a half hour more the meat would
have been lost in the supplies of retail dealers,
Inspector Thompson also had trouble over this
but it never reached the consumers.
In March he got word that bull had been
shipped to the stockyards. where a Wholesale
butcher purchased him. The inspector traced
that bnll from pillar to post closely that the
butcher did. dot find chance to kill him.
What is the average weight of salable and
healthy sheepl" was asked of a butcher. ysster-
day.
i.From thirty-fva to sixty-fve pounds. LamB
runs from twenty five to thirty five pounds"
Anything under that, then, ought not to be-
soId"
mo. 1t is not good mutton It will be what
is called light weight Calves ought to weigh
from sixty-fve to ninety pounds Jerseys are.
of course lighter-from forty-fve to fifty Eve
pounds" This conversation was sought to par
tiallv explain some records of condemnation.
The Board Of Health book does not go into de-
tail. 1t gives the class of animal condemned.
its weight and butchers name. Why
crippled or light in weight. does not appear.
But the record for Jan &c last shows that
butcher lost five sheep, weighing altogether $50
pounds. an average Of thirty pounds. The
inspector ruled them out of the market: but q
few days before that. on the 18th. he condemned
for the same man and another butcher at tho
hat ~hA1 Iv~
pounds. On the SAINT day hog weighing 1877
pounds was condemned at the same place. The
record for that month shows that one of these
butchers had, on the 10th, o4O pounds OF
beef condemned. the 18th 1913 pounds
and on the 18th, a hog of 100 pounds. inspectors
Thompson found all this at the abattolr. An
month had a 135 pound hog and 80 pound sheep
condemned at the abattoir On ths 18th q
taller killed So pound calf that did not in.
spection, and the Goth another meat sellef
lost by condemnation, SIS pounds of beef at th1
abettoir It was that day. also. that the in
spector bounced on 125 pounds of beef at the city
market, belonging to a Wholesale meat firm. AT
Herman Mays pork house a butcher, certain
day In February. had $50 pounds of objection
able pork A dealer also suffered the loss of three
hogs, weighing $50 pounds, at his house. while
at the abattoir there was also condemned hos
butchered by him that weighed 266 pounds.
retailer brought on the market 100-pound hog
when the inspector had condemned It In thH
month Ave sheep were condemned for one
butcher. 1t was on tho 18th OF March
that q grocer had on the market
$50 pounds of mutton. the aggregate
weight of six sheep. The average was
sixteen pounds The lot was condemned On
the 18th two hogs weighing 250 pounds. belong.
ing to one of the men who has persstently dealt
in bad meats were condemned. The condemns
tions IN April were, on the 5th, at the abattoirx
42S pounds Of beef; l4th. three sheep, total 100
pounds; at the city market, the 18th, TIVE
calves, total 100 pounds; at the abartoir. on the
23d, one calf. Sc pounds; city market.
on the Goth. three sheep, 100 poundsl
on the 18th and 10Th of May. the abattoir, 4
calf $50 pounds. and beef. 100 pouuda During
this month only two condemnations have been
made, both OF beef. 300 pounds each. belonging
to two meat dealers. Tho last condempation,
was on the 18th, and the record states that the
cause of its being condemned WAS that the meas
was decomposed.
1t Was Not DIR. Withrow.
Chicago News.
The band played and the crowd roared as Mr.
ally nd aio bndo